1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for searching web sites and, more particularly, to a system of searching web sites by which users can search for and connect desired web sites by entering web site codes in an input box on the homepage of the searching system. The present invention also relates to a method of using the system for searching web sites.
2. Background of the Invention
General entry web sites, such as Yahoo, provide the function of searching other web sites desired for users. In other words, users can type a key word or a set of key words with respect to the desired web site one at a time in an input box on a homepage of the entry web sites for searching and connecting the desired web site. Here a key word means an English vocabulary or a Chinese character while a set of key words mean more than one English vocabulary or more than one Chinese character.
For example, if a user wants to search the web site in the world Wide Web relating to computer network, he or she has to type a set of key words, xe2x80x9ccomputer networkxe2x80x9d, in the input box of an entry web site. The entry web site then performs to search web sites relating to xe2x80x9ccomputer networkxe2x80x9d. However, if the user misspells the key words intended to be used for searching, for example, he or she types xe2x80x9ccompute networkxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ccomputer etworkxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccompute etworkxe2x80x9d, the general entry web site can not find any web sites desired for the user because it is unable to obtain a successful match within web site information stored in its database in terms of the misspelled words. Further, users can also search web sites by inputting numerals. However, an entry web site can not locate and connect the web site desired by the user, if the desired web site relates to a string of numerals of 023 while the user incorrectly input 02 or 02333.
In addition, searching systems used by general entry web sites usually do not provide classification function in terms of numeral. For example, a numeral of xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d can represent the class of web sites relating to computer so that the homepage of the general entry web site connected to a user""s browser will show web sites with regard to computer in response to xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d input by the user through his or her browser. Likewise, a two-digit number starting with xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d can stand for sub-classes under the class of computer; for example, xe2x80x9c01xe2x80x9d represents the sub-class of web sites about computer hardware, and xe2x80x9c02xe2x80x9d stands for sub-class of web sites about computer software.
Therefore in the input box of homepages of conventional general entry web sites users have to enter complete or correct web site codes or click on a pop-up menu for searching desired web sites. If the words input by the user are misspelled or incomplete, the entry web sites cannot successfully perform the search request. Moreover, general entry web sites cannot perform web site search by inputting numerals in terms of a classification catalogue pre-established in the general entry web sites. Therefore there is a need for a method and a system of searching web pages that can perform web site search regardless of the completeness or correctness of codes input by the user.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a system for searching web sites, which allows users to successfully search and connect desired web sites even though the web site codes input by the users are incorrect or incomplete.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system for searching web sites that allows users to input web site codes other than conventional words.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a system for searching web sites, that can perform a web site search in a classification way to thereby make the search easier to perform than the prior art.
The system for searching web sites consists of an entry web site, a search engine, a homepage database, a message control module, and a message output module.
The entry web site is used for users to input, numerals or words, and to send input data to search engine for further process.
The search engine is used to receive the input data sent from the entry web site. The search engine is able to compare the input data with homepage database and identify the data of searched web sites corresponding to the input data. The comparison methods used by the search engine can be complete or fuzzy. After finding out the data of entry web sites for the input, the search engine sends the TCP/IP addresses or complete domain names corresponding to the data to the message control module.
Homepage database stores input words or numerals and their corresponding TCP/IP addresses or complete domain names. Every word or numeral has its corresponding TCP/IP address or complete domain name. Database uses digits of numerals to classify input data. For example, a numeral starting with xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d can represent the catalogue of web pages about computer; under the same catalogue, the second digit of the numeral can be used for sub-classification, for example, xe2x80x9c01xe2x80x9d representing the catalogue of web pages about computer hardware, and xe2x80x9c02xe2x80x9d about software. In either case, the first digit is xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d, which is about computer. The second digits, xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d representing hardware in the former case and xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d representing software in the latter case, then are for sub-classification.
The message control module uses the TCP/IP addresses or complete domain names sent from search engine and finds the sites for users. The module then sends the data or messages of the found web site to the browsers of clients.
The message output module is controlled by the message control module and it sends the data or messages of the found web site to the browsers of clients via internet.
To use the searching system of the present invention, users enter the TCP/IP address or complete domain name of the searching system of web site in the input URL boxes of their browser pages. Through the request of connecting to the searching system according to hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), the homepage of the searching system of the web site then displays on users"" browser pages on local clients. Users then enter words or numerals for their search request in the input box of the homepage of the searching system after the connection between clients and the searching system is established. The entry web site then sends the data in the input box to search engine. The search engine of the searching system then searches the required web site according to the data by using complete comparison or fuzzy comparison. Either the corresponding TCP/IP addresses or domain names of searched homepages are identified and sent to message control module. Message control module then tries to connect the web sites of the TCP/IP addresses or domain names. Message output module, which is controlled by the message control module, then transmits the content of the homepages of the connected web sites to the browsers of clients for displaying.